Three scaffolders saved a woman from the edge of a bridge after creating a make-shift harness – before lifting her to safety with a cherry picker.
Builders Mark Hitchens, 49, and 50-year-old Richard Norris were working on a construction site and noticed the female.
She was on the wrong side of the railing of a bridge and the two scaffolders decided they couldn’t just sit back and watch.
They quickly gathered their tools and rescued the woman from the bridge in Exeter, Devon.
Police were called to the scene at around 1.30pm on Thursday, but couldn’t get to the woman because of her precarious position.
Mark and Richard, who work for Apex Scaffolding, knew they had the tools and the skills necessary to make a difference.
The used rope and a harness to strap her gently against the bridge before their mate arrived in a cherry picker.
Richard said: “We saw her on the bridge and Mark and I decided we needed to get some sort of safety rope or harness around her and try to strap her in against the railings.
“We arranged to do that and in the meantime Mark ran down to the site to get a forklift to get the policemen up to where the lady was to get her inside there.”
He added: “A lovely young lad – I don’t know who he was – kept talking to her and keeping her calm. He managed to settle her, which was fantastic.”
Fellow builder Danny Clavin then arrived in his cherry picker and used the bucket to lift the woman to safety.
The woman is now in the care of paramedics.
Richard said: “It’s good that we all got together, worked together and got the situation sorted, which was really nice.”
Mark added: “We got involved, we got her down – it worked out great.”
A spokesperson for Apex Scaffolding said they were glad Mark and Richard got involved.
They said: “It was a terrible situation but it’s nice to know we employ the sort of people who don’t just sit back and watch but help when needed.
“I think that shows a certain quality in those two guys.”
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called at around 12.50pm today to reports of concern for welfare of a woman in Exeter.
“Emergency services attended the scene on New Bridge street where a woman was on the wrong side of the railing on the bridge.
“Police officers and member of the public were able to make contact with the woman, who had climbed over the railings.
“Localised closures were put in place to allow emergency vehicle access.
“Local scaffolders in the area worked with police officers and used their forklift with attached bucket to bring the women safely off the bridge.
“The woman was taken into the care of medical professionals.
“Officers have praised the members of the public for their bravery and quick thinking while they assisted emergency services at this incident.”
A spokesperson for Apex Scaffolding said they were glad Mark, 48, and Richard, 50, got involved.
They said: “It was a terrible situation but it’s nice to know we employ the sort of people who don’t just sit back and watch but help when needed.
“I think that shows a certain quality in those two guys.”
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called at around 12.50pm today to reports of concern for welfare of a woman in Exeter.
“Emergency services attended the scene on New Bridge street where a woman was on the wrong side of the railing on the bridge.
“Police officers and member of the public were able to make contact with the woman, who had climbed over the railings.
“Localised closures were put in place to allow emergency vehicle access.
“Local scaffolders in the area worked with police officers and used their forklift with attached bucket to bring the women safely off the bridge.
“The woman was taken into the care of medical professionals.
“Officers have praised the members of the public for their bravery and quick thinking while they assisted emergency services at this incident.”
